3 May 2016 Dubrovnik, Croatia: The Walls of Time

Centuries of political and trade conflict with much-larger powers, a massive earthquake, and a war in the 1990s that still echoes in the ears of some.

But Dubrovnik has one other distinction, and not a happy one.

It was added to the UNESCO list in 1979 and scarcely a dozen years later many of its priceless treasures of humanity were under siege and bombardment.

Today, Dubrovnik is nearly recovered, and one of the most popular tourist lures of the Dalmatian Coast.

The prosperity of Dubrovnik has been linked to the maritime trade for nearly all of its existence. Today, they trade mostly in tourists.

These days we know the place by its Croatian name. But the Italians reach back to an older name of Ragusa, which is based on the Roman settlement of Ragusium, and in turn the Greek port of Ragousa.

The Republic of Ragusa existed into the Middle Ages.

On the other side of the Adriatic and in the Mediterranean in Italy there were similar seafaring and trading city-states in places like Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa, and Venice.

The city reached its peak of power in the 15th and 16th centuries.

We’re due to return to Dubrovnik on the next cruise, and I’ll have more photos and commentary in my blog entry for May 9.

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